Playing in their second double-header of the season Friday, college baseball’s 11th ranked Tar Heels improved to 6-2 with a pair of wins, 4-3 in Game One and 5-3 in Game Two, over the now 0-5 Rhode Island Rams. Games were played on the campus of Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina due to winter weather in Chapel Hill.

Game One

The first game might as well have been called “The Benton Moss Show”, as UNC’s senior right-hander was absolutely unhittable.

Moss (2-0) came into the game boasting an insane strikeout rate, having earned strike three 16 times in just 8.2 innings pitched (16.61 K’s per nine innings), leading the ACC in that category.

That pattern continued Friday. Moss plowed through the Rhode Island lineup with ease, tossing seven innings of shut-out ball without issuing a walk, and added 10 more strikeouts to his season total. The Rams were able to manage six hits off of the senior, but failed to get any of those with a runner on base (0-11).

Landon Lassiter had an RBI and a fantastic diving catch in Game One. (UNC Athletics)

Landon Lassiter had an RBI and a fantastic diving catch in Game One. (UNC Athletics)

Freshmen Logan Warmoth and Zack Gahagan, along with junior Landon Lassiter, each drove in a run to give the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead after the second inning, and provided some cushion for Moss to work with.

Lassiter, the UNC left-fielder who transitioned from third base to the outfield entering this season, also put the flames out of the only real threat to his pitcher’s amazing day, making a diving catch that stopped Rams’ center-fielder Jordan Powell from scoring, and ended the Rhode Island half of the fifth.

A sacrifice fly from sophomore shortstop Wood Myers in the bottom of the sixth scored designated hitter Adam Pate, bringing the Tar Heels’ lead to four heading into the final innings. The play seemed meaningless at the time, but would end up proving to be the difference.

The situation got sticky in the top of the eighth after reliever Chris McCue came on to replace Moss, who threw 97 pitches. A throwing error by the third baseman, Warmoth, allowed Rams’ catcher Derek Gardella to reach base, and then McCue hit the next man up, right-fielder Mike Sherburne, with a pitch, giving the Rams multiple base-runners for the first time in the day.

Rhode Island’s designated hitter Martin Taveras would drive in a run shortly after, ending the day for McCue after recording just one out.

Trent Thornton came out of the bullpen Friday, picking up the save in each game.

Trent Thornton came out of the bullpen Friday, picking up the save in each game. (UNC Athletics)

Trent Thornton came out of the bullpen for the first time this season to try and help UNC escape the jam, but the Rams were able to score the runners that were already on base (on a passed ball and sacrifice fly), closing the Carolina lead to just 4-3 after eight.

Ultimately, it would stay right there, as Thornton closed it down in the ninth, picking up the save for the Tar Heels in the opener.

Game Two

Great starting pitching was the theme of the day for Carolina.

Freshman JB Bukauskas, looking to rebound from his first collegiate loss last weekend against UCLA, must have ate Wheaties with Benton Moss for breakfast, because he came out sharp as a tack early on in the second act of the day.

However, unlike Moss, Bukauskas found himself locked in a duel with Rhode Island’s own freshman, 6’4″ left-hander Tyler Wilson.

After four scoreless innings, the teams had combined for just three hits (two for Rhode Island, one for the Tar Heels).

That changed in the top of the fifth when Mike Sherburne hit a two-run homer to deep left center-field off of the hard-throwing Bukauskas to open up scoring.

Carolina responded in the bottom of the frame after a lead-off double by Adam Pate got things rolling. A wild pitch would allow Pate to reach third, before Korey Dunbar drew a walk, ending a great first career start for Wilson. He allowed only two hits in four innings, and struck out four batters, but hurt himself by walking five.

Tyler Ramirez talks with Coach Scott Jackson. (UNC Athletics)

Tyler Ramirez talks with Coach Scott Jackson. (UNC Athletics)

Sophomore Taso Stathopoulos came on in relief and allowed Wood Myers to single in Pate for the Tar Heels. Center-fielder Skye Bolt then walked to load the bases, setting up Tyler Ramirez, who knocked in the tying run on a fielder’s choice to second base.

Bukauskas was done after allowing a base hit to Martin Taveras to begin the sixth, but finished with six strikeouts and just two earned runs in five innings of work.

Bullpen issues continued to plague the Tar Heels, with four relievers needed to finish off the sixth, giving the lead back to Rhode Island on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by left-fielder Nick DeRegis off of UNC senior Trevor Kelley. However, it could have been much worse, as the bags were full with no outs at one point in the inning.

Again though, the Carolina offense was able to respond, after a fielding error by Rams’ shortstop Tim Caputo allowed Alex Raburn to score all the way from second base in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at three runs apiece.

The Tar Heels would take their first lead of the game in the seventh on Tyler Ramirez’s RBI single, which drove in Wood Myers. After Adrian Chacon walked, Ramirez would then score from second on a fielder’s choice to make the score 5-3 in favor of UNC.

That’s how it would finish.

Reliever Hansen Butler (1-0) would be credited with the win, but both games ended in similar fashion. Trent Thornton came in with one out in the eighth and finished the contest with his second scoreless save of the day, striking out four hitters in this one, including every batter he faced in the ninth.

Next Up:

Saturday’s series finale will feature sophomore Zac Gallen (0-0 3.00 ERA) on the mound for Carolina, with Rhode Island’s starter yet to be decided. That game will be played under the lights with an approximate start time set at 7 P.M. It will begin after host Francis Marion University completes their own doubleheader.

Notes From the Day:

  • Rhode Island had not played a game since February 15th, their third loss in a series against #2 Florida
  • With 10 more Friday, Benton Moss now has 278 strikeouts in his UNC career. Only three former Tar Heels have reached 300 (Andrew Miller, Alex White, Patrick Johnson).
  • The Tar Heels continue to struggle hitting with runners in scoring position going 3-22 on the day
  • Carolina won Game Two, and scored five runs, despite only getting five hits

FINAL BOX SCORE: GAME ONE

FINAL BOX SCORE: GAME TWO